Mobb Deep star Prodigy reported to jail a day early on Tuesday to start serving a three-and-a-half year sentence for gun possession offenses.

The rapper - real name Albert Johnson - pleaded guilty to illegal firearm charges after he was found with an unlicensed .22-caliber pistol in his Chevy Suburban in 2006. But the 33-year-old maintains the patrolmen who pulled him over for driving on the wrong side of the road had no right to search his vehicle.

Prodigy, who finished working on his upcoming disc H.N.I.C. 2 before handing himself over to the authorities, recently insisted being locked up won't affect his creative output.

He said, "While I'm locked up, I'm going to be writing lyrics, working on the script for my second feature film, Dope, and finish writing an autobiography of my life, which will be finished by the time I'm released.

"My mind is going to be focused, and I'll have time to think and map out my entire plan. The experience will make me a tougher, stronger person. I'm gonna work on getting out faster, so I can get back to doing what I do best. When I get home, it's gonna be on!"

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)